Staff

Warren Leon, Executive Director

Warren Leon is Executive Director of the Clean Energy States Alliance. He oversees the organization’s day-to-day operations and leads strategy development. He directs CESA’s RPS Collaborative. He has written and edited many reports for CESA, including Clean Energy Champions: The Importance of State Programs and Policies. He is an Adjunct Professor at Brandeis International Business School. Prior to working for CESA, Warren was Director of the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust, Executive Director of the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association, and Deputy Director for Programs at the Union of Concerned Scientists. He co-authored the influential book The Consumer's Guide to Effective Environmental Choices. He holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University.

Lewis Milford, CESA Founder and President, Clean Energy Group

Lewis Milford is president and founder of Clean Energy Group (CEG) and Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA), two national nonprofit organizations that work with state, federal, and international organizations to promote clean energy technology, policy, finance, and innovation. Mr. Milford is also a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. He works with many public agencies and private investors in the United States and Europe that finance clean energy. Mr. Milford is frequently asked to appear as an expert panelist at energy conferences throughout the United States and Europe. His articles on clean energy have appeared in many print and online publications including The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The National Journal, The Huffington Post, and Renewable Energy World. Before founding these two organizations, he was Vice President of Conservation Law Foundation, New England’s leading environmental organization. Prior to that, he was a government prosecutor on the Love Canal hazardous waste case in New York and previously directed the Public Interest Law Clinic at American University Law School where he represented veterans on a range of legal issues, including gaining compensation for their harmful expose to Agent Orange and nuclear radiation. He has a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.

Maria Blais Costello, Manager of Program Administration

Maria Blais Costello is Manager of Program Administration for CEG and CESA where she is responsible for managing grants and contracts for CESA and CEG projects. Maria directs CESA's State Leadership in Clean Energy awards. Over the past 15 year, she has managed the development activities for both organizations and manages communications, publications, and special events. Maria previously worked at Conservation Law Foundation, where she served as the office manager for the Vermont office. She graduated cum laude from the University of New Hampshire with a B.A. in Political Science, with a minor in Economics.

Diana Chace, Program Associate

Diana Chace is a Program Associate for CESA, focusing primarily on solar power. Diana graduated summa cum laude from Vermont Law School (VLS) with a Master of Energy Regulation and Law. Before attending VLS, she helped the Conservation Law Foundation advocate in the Vermont State House for renewable portfolio standards and for increased funding for thermal efficiency programs. She also served on the Finance and Funding subcommittee of the Vermont Public Service Department’s Thermal Efficiency Taskforce, and on Drive Electric Vermont, a stakeholder group promoting and facilitating the adoption of electric vehicles.

Samantha Donalds, Research and Communications Specialist

Samantha serves as a Research and Communications Specialist for Clean Energy Group and Clean Energy States Alliance. She assists with member services, communications, and research. She also coordinates social media and serves as the webmaster for both organizations. Samantha previously worked as an administrator at Fairewinds Energy Education, a nuclear safety advocacy non-profit in Burlington, Vermont. She has also worked as a research assistant in the environmental studies department at Brown University, where she researched fisheries projects in West Africa and compiled historic climate and fisheries data from southern New England. Samantha graduated cum laude from Mount Holyoke College with a B.A. in Environmental Studies and a minor in French.

Nate Hausman, Project Director

Nate Hausman is a Project Director for CEG and CESA where he primarily works on initiatives to reduce the cost of photovoltaic deployment in New England. Nate is an attorney licensed to practice law in both California and Vermont. He previously served as an associate attorney for the Austin Legal Group and as a visiting attorney for the Environmental Law Institute. Nate has also served as a legal intern for various environmentally-focused organizations including the Center for Food Safety in San Francisco, California, and the Conservation Law Foundation in Montpelier, Vermont. He has authored a law review article about evolving administrative remedies available under the National Environmental Policy Act. Nate holds a J.D. with a certificate in Environmental & Natural Resources Law from Lewis & Clark Law School and a B.A. from Colorado College.

Meghan Monahan, Office Manager

Meghan Monahan is CEG's Executive Assistant and Office Manager. She also serves as a project assistant for CESA. Her duties include managing staff schedules, administrative support, research, and event planning. Meghan is a magna cum laude graduate of Champlain College, where she majored in Business Administration.

Todd Olinsky-Paul, Project Director

As project director for Clean Energy Group and Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA), Todd Olinsky-Paul directs the Energy Storage and Technology Advancement Partnership (ESTAP) project, a federal-state funding and information sharing project that aims to accelerate the deployment of electrical energy storage technologies in the United States. Mr. Olinsky-Paul also works on resilient power in the areas of combined-heat-and-power (CHP) and critical infrastructure energy resiliency.Todd joined CESA from the Pace Energy and Climate Center, where he served as the Manager of Communications, Education, and Outreach, as well as an Energy Policy Analyst. His recent work has focused on energy storage technologies and policy, renewable thermal generation and siting issues, renewable energy and grid interactions, financing and policy incentives, and emerging technologies. He has authored numerous reports for state and federal agencies. Mr. Olinsky-Paul has a Master of Science in Environmental Policy from Bard College and a Bachelor of Arts from Brown University.

Robert Sanders, Senior Finance Director

With over twenty-five years of experience in community development and energy-related commercial finance, Rob Sanders has deep expertise in designing, implementing and evaluating financing programs, financial products and related services in the areas of clean energy and sustainable community development. As senior finance director for Clean Energy Group, Mr. Sanders has written extensively about clean energy finance and resilient power, especially in connection with economically disadvantaged communities. Mr. Sanders was formerly the Managing Director of Energy Finance for The Reinvestment Fund, a leading innovator in the financing of neighborhood and economic revitalization. In this capacity, he served as Fund Manager for the Sustainable Development Fund, a $32 million fund created by the Pennsylvania PUC to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency, as well as TRF Fund Manager for the Pennsylvania Green Energy Loan Fund and the Philadelphia metropolitan area EnergyWorks Loan Fund. As lead for all energy investing, he made loans, leases, equity investments and performance-based grant incentives. Mr. Sanders holds an MCP from the University of California at Berkeley and a BA from Stanford University.

Val Stori, Project Director

Val Stori serves as a Project Director for Clean Energy Group and the Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA). Val leads CESA’s Renewable Thermal and Biomass Thermal projects and the Interstate Turbine Advisory Council. Additionally, she co-leads several offshore wind initiatives including the Northeast Wind Resource Center, with a focus on stakeholder outreach. She has a Master of Studies in Environmental Law from Vermont Law School and a B.A. from Middlebury College in Environmental Studies/Conservation Biology.

Georgena Terry, Volunteer Research Associate

Georgena Terry is a volunteer research associate for the Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA). She is the founder of Terry Precision Bicycles for Women. Her interest in environmental issues arose from many miles on a bicycle, following roads along marshes and grasslands and through forests. This burgeoning passion eventually led her to Vermont Law School, where she earned a Master of Environmental Law and Policy. She also has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Carnegie-Mellon University and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School. As a volunteer, she hopes to help CESA advance its clean energy mission.

Anthony Vargo, Chief Financial Officer

Tony Vargo serves as CFO for CEG and CESA, where his primary responsibilities include budgeting, financial accounting, external reporting/audit, and grant reporting. In addition, he works with staff in human resource management and benefits design/administration. Previously, he served as a VP/CFO/Treasurer with the National Gardening Association. He is a CPA CGMA with 25 years of experience in financial management.